Lignum vitae wassail bowl

Description

A wonderful and large turned lignum vitae wassail bowl, England circa 1680
Wassail bowls were first mentioned in the 13th century as a vessel in which revelers dropped cakes and bread into–the practice of floating chips of toasted bread was the origins of the word “toast” as a salutation to other drinkers.
Lignum vitae is a particularly dense and heavy wood with a natural oil that makes it excellent for turning on a lathe. As Lignum was often used as ballast for ships, it clearly found a use once it arrived in the ship’s final destination.